Machine for washing sheet material.



G. E. MOSS. MACHINE FOR WASHING SHEET MATERIAL.

APPLIUATION IILED JULYI, 1907.

Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

27- Fig. 2. 25

c. E. v MOS MACHINE PUR- WASHING S MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED Jl TLY 1, 1907.

899,424. Patented Sept. 22, 1908. I 2 ssssssssssss 2.

CHARLES E MOSS, or BoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE For; WASHINGSHIEE'I. MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

Application filed July 1, 1907. Serial No. 381,598.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. Moss, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Washing Sheet Material, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus by which sheet material may be washed, and has special reference to washing blue print paper and other photographic printsafter having been exposed, so as to remove those portions of the sensitized coating which had not become fixed by the action of the light.

The chief object of the invention is to carry the sheets past spraying means where they are subjected to the action of water or other washing fluid projected against one side only with sufficient force to remove all the soluble coating, to provide supports for the sheets and the conveyors by which they are carried, so that the sheets will be held flat and will not be liable to puckering, wrinkling or tear' ranged w th intermediate spaces and mount-'.

mg a delivery table which has tongues entering such spaces so as to lift and guide the a vancing edges of the sheets away from the conveying means. The-details of an aparatus by which these objects are attaine are described and claimed in the following specification and illustrated in the drawings forming a part thereof.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a machine in which the principles of my invention areembodied. Fig. 2 represents a detail cross-section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 represent on an enlarged scale, detail sectional views of the sheet-feeding-and liquid-expressing devices, together with the strippers. Fig. 5 represents a front elevation of part of the machine illustratedin F 1. Fig. 6 represents a view of part of the machine, showin a modified arrangement of stripper device or se arating the sheets to bellwashed from the ceding and squeezing ro s. the sheet-conveying means with a different form of stripper. I

The same reference characters indicate the same parts mall the figures;

Fig. 7 represents a sectional view of Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the frame of a Washing machine, and 2 represents a tank or trough for receivingwashing fluid 1 after having been sprayed against the sheets. Near the opposite endsof the tank are rolls 3 and. 4 over which conveying belts 5 pass. The rearward roll 4 is at a higher elevation than the front roll in order that the stretch' 5 of the conveyer which carries the sheets to be treated may pass upward at a considerable angle to allow the washing fluid to run off 6 is a roll bearing against the conveyer close to the roll. 3 and pressing the conveyer downward so as to hold the sheets to be treated'firmly against the latter and assist in feeding them onward. The roll 3 is driven by a shaft 7 turned by any suitable source of ower, and may conveniently .be connected by gearing 8 and 9 with the roll 6 so as to" causethe tter to turn in unison withit, but the friction of the conveyer alone may be depended on to cause the latter to turn. Above and in front of the roll 3 is a guide plate or table 10 on which sheetsl-l which are to be washed are placed, and from which they are fedby hand or ravity to the tapered throat between theorolfs 3 and 6. The rolls 3 and 4 thus constitute driving and supporting rolls for the conveyer and sheets, w lle the roll 6 is an auxiliary feeder.

Extending upwardly and to the rear from the roll 6 is a series of water-discharging means consisting of pipes 12 13 and 14 which erforated on the side next to the stretch 5 0 the conveyer so as to discharge water or other suitable fluid or wash in a spray or a number of fine' streams. These spraying pipes areconnected by piping 15 to which water is supplied from a supply pipe 16 regulated by a valve 17. The water. may enter the pipe 16 either from a pressure mainor from a connection 18 which takes the water which has already been used from the bottom of the tank and through whichv it is forced by a pump 19.

After assing beyond the fluid-discharging means, .316 sheets are subjected to the pressure of a squeezing roll 20 which expresses the surplus water from them. This roll is located intermediate the supporting rolls 3 and 4, so that it acts on the sheets before theyreach' the rearmost roll, and is therefore opposed only by the pressure due to the tension of the conveyer and notto the rigid opposition of the roll 4. I have found that it is impossible to pass wet paper sheets'between wringer rolls which bear directly upon each other without danger of puckering and wrinklin them, but when the squeezing roll bears .onIy against a length of the conveyer, which is flexible and yielding, the sheets invariably pass through smoothly, and as much of the water is pressed out-as can be extracted by pressure alone.

In rear of the roll 4 is a delivery table 21 upon which the sheets are fed by the continued motion of the conveyer. In order .that the sheets may with absolute surety be removed from the conveyer, and any liability of their being carried around the roll 4 into the tank avoided, I form'the conveyer of a plurality of belts placed side by side, separated by narrow spaces, as shown in Fig. 5,

into which extend tongues 22 on the delivery table. The belts are sufliciently narrow and the spaces'and tongues numerous enough to enable the latter to lift the moist sheets at a great number of adjacent .points so that the adhesion of the sheets to the belts will not be strong enough to tear the sheets. At the same time, it is necessary to have the belts of greater width than the spaces between them so-that they will sup ort the sheets over the greater proportion o the area of the before they receive the direct impingement of the water ejected from the pipes. Conse quently the sheets are wet as soon as they pass beyond the point where the roll 6 separates from the conveyer, and also as they pass beyond the squeezing roll 20. There is thus a tendency for the advancing foremost edge of a sheet to adhere to either roll and to be carried around with it, thereby causing the sheet to become wrapped around the roll, instead of to travel forward as intended, with the conveyer. To guard against this contingency, I provide strippers which consist of wires 23 passing around the roll 6, and. an upper guide roll 24, which is so located that one stretch of the wiresextends from the roll 6 to and beyond the roll 20, between these rolls and the conveyer belts. Thus as the strippers diverge from the rolls, they supplement the tendency of the sheets to adhere to the conveyer and separate them from the rolls without tearing or puckering them. Those portions of the rolls 6 and with which the wires come into contact have grooves 25 and 26 of greater depth than the diameter of the wires, so that t 1e latter are entirely sunken within the periphery and do not come into contact with the sheets where they are pressed upon by the rolls. T herefore there is no -tendency for the wires to make indented lines in the sheets.

Below the stretch 5 of the conveyer is a backing plate 27 which supports that portion a ainst which the washing fluid is projected. TIie backing plate has ribs 28, as shown in Fig. 2, of a height substantially equal to the thickness of the belts which enter the spaces between the latter and fill them.- The filler bars or ribs thus supplement the belts and form with the latter a continuous supporting surface which sustains the sheets so as to receive the pressure of the water discharged upon them. No spaces are left between the belts andribs wide enough to permit the water to displace any parts of the sheets and indent or tear them, while those portions of the plate 27 which extend under the belts sustain the latter and prevent any unequal ielding under the water jets which would have a similar effect. Thereby the sheets are kept perfectly smooth in all stages of the washing and squeezing operation.

The backing plate is supported b bolts 29 passing through lugs 30 in the si es of the machine frame and adjusted by nuts 31. The roll 20 is also adjustably' mounted to vary the squeezingpressure, having its journals contained in guides 32 and adjustable by a screw 33. The roll 24 is similarly mounted in a guide 34 and adjustable by a screw 35 to regulate the tension of the stripper wires 23 and take up any stretch therein.

Fig. 6 is intended to show a modification of stripper in which the wires 23 are omitted, and in place thereof are substituted pins-36 carried by a cross bar 37 which may be suitably mounted on'the sides of the machine frame. This form of stripper is intended to bemounted behind each of the rolls 6 and 20.

In Fig. 7 is shown a form of stripper which in some respects is preferable to either of those before described. Separate wires 38 extend from a cross bar 39 partly around the roll6 and beyond the roll 20 to a cross bar 40 with which they are connected by springs 41. The wires are thus stationary but as they are of such small superficial area and bear so lightly against either the rolls or the sheets that their friction opposes practically no resistance to the operation of the machine. The springs 41 also automatically preserve the required tension in the wires and avoid the necessity of the guide roll 24 and the adjusting means for the latter.

I claim 1. A machine of the character described, comprising a flexible conveyer adapted to support. the sheet material over the greater part -.of the area of the latter, and means for projecting washin fluid against the material while so supporte saidconveyer consisting of a series of parallel sections separated from one another to permit escape of the washing fluid, whereby the conveyer'is. cleansed.

2. A machine of the characterjdescribed,

comprising a flexible conveyor adapted to support thesheet-material over the greater part of the area of thelatter, means for proecting washing'fluid ja'gainst'the m'ateriai while so supported, a rigid backing for sustaining the conve or and sheet material against the force o the fluid, and a support or'table upon which the material is delivered I by the conveyor.

3. A. machine of the character described, comprising a flexible conveyor adapted to support the sheet material over the greater part of the area of the latter, means for pro-} and a support or table upon which the mateveyers to advance sheet material, pipes arrial is delivered b the conveyor.

4. A machine or washing sheet material, comprising a plurality of endless conveyers placed side by side and-separated by narrow spaces, rolls over which said conveyers are passed, a feed roll cooperating with said conranged to discharge fluid against sa d .conveyers and the sheets, supported thereby, a backing late for holdin the conveyers 'up against t is force of the ischarge and fillers contained within the spaces between the conveyers to provide therewith a continuous supportin surface for the sheets, and a delivery tab e having projections sunk into the spaces betweenthe conveyers to remove the s eets therefrom.

5. A machine for washing sheet material, comprising-a plurality of endless conveyers placed side by side and separated by narrow spaces, rolls.over which said conveyors are passed, afeed roll cooporatmg with sa1dconveyers to advance sheet material, pipes arranged to discharge fluidagainst said conveyers and the sheets supported thereby, a

backing plate for holdi the conveyers up a ai'nst the force of the discharge and having ri s extendin into the spaces between the conveyers an of a hei ht substantially equal to the thickness of the atter, whereby'to prevent the sheets from bein' pressed intosu'ch' spaces by the force of the uid discharge, and a delivery table having tongues extending into the spaces between the-conveyers to remove the sheets therefrom.

6. A machine for washing sheet material, com rising a flexible sectional conveyor having ongitudinal spaces between its sections,

whereby escape of the washing fluid and cleansing of the conveyor are permitted, de-.

vices for directing jets of washin fluid against the conveyor and the sheets t ereon, and devices paral el to' the sheet-supporting stretch of the conveyor contained in the s aces between the sections for preventing lsplacement of the sheets into such'spaces. 7. A machine for washing sheet material, com rising a flexible sectional conveyor having 'ongitudinal spaces between its sections, whereby escape of the washing fluid and cleansing of the conveyor are permitted, de-

vices for directing jets of washing fluid against the conveyor and the sheets thereon, a ri id back supporting the conveyor against istor 'ion and deflection from the force of the impinging fluid, and means carried by said back entering the spaces between the conveyer sections to maintain the continuity of the sheets across such spaces.

8-." A machine of the character described, comprising a flexible conveyor adapted to support' t'ho sheet material over the reater part of the area of the latter, a feed r0 I hearing against the conveyor between the points at which the latter is supported to cooperate therewith in gripping and feedin sheets, and strip ers interposed between t e conveyor and cod roll and extending with the conveyor beyondsaid roll to prevent the foremost edge of a sheet being wrapped about the roll.

9.: A machine of the character described, comprising a flexible conveyor adapted to support thesheet material over the reater part of the area of the latter, a feed ro bearing' against the conveyor adjacent to the entering point for the sheet material to cooperate therewith in gripping and feeding sheets, and; strippers consisting of rods or wires held in close contact with the feed roll and extending beyond the same in substan-- tial arallelism with the conveyor to separate the oremost edge of an advancing sheet from the roll and prevent the sheet becoming wrapped about the roll.

10. Amachine of the character described, comprising a'floxible conveyor adapted to support the sheet material over the reater part of the area of the latter, a feed r01 bearing a ainst the conveyor at the point where the s sets are first engaged with the con- 'veyer to cooperate therewlth in gripping and feeding sheets, and strippers consisting of rods or wires held in close contact with the feed roll and extending past the same paral-- lel with the conveyor to separate the foremost edge of an advancin sheet from the roll and prevent the sheet ecoming wrapped about the roll, the roll being grooved where engaged bythe strippers, whereby the latter are sunken within the feeding surface and enabled to remain out of contact with the sheet.

11. In a machine of the character described, having aconveyer and a cooperating ripping feed-roll, stationary stripper wires l eld at their ends and passing between the roll and conveyor, approximately parallel to the latter.

. over which the conveyer is assed, means for discharging fluid against t e conveyer and the sheets carried thereby, and a presser roll bearing against the conveyer intermediate the supporting rolls and upon an unsupported portion thereof for removing the excess of fluid from the sheets.

14. A machine of the character described,

comprising a flexible conveyer adapted to support the sheet material over the greater part of the area of the latter, sup orting rolls over which the conveyer is asse means for discharging fluid against t e conveyer and the sheets carried thereby, a presser roll the presser, whereby they are enabled to bearing against the conveyer intermediate the supporting rolls for removing the excess of fluid from the sheets, and strippers arranged to separate the sheets from the presser and to cause the sheets to travel w1th th conveyer past the presser.

15. A machine of the character described, comprising a'flexible conveyer adapted to support the sheet material over the greater part of the area of the latter, sup orting rolls over which the conveyer is assed, means for discharging fluid against t e conveyer and the sheets carried thereby, a presser' roll bearing against the conveyer intermediate the su porting rolls for removing the excess of fluid from the sheets, and separated strippers of slight width extending beyond the resser in the direction of movement of the conveyer and entering peripheral grooves in separate the advancing sheets from the presser and cause the same to continue with the conveyer, without being caused to indent the sheets.

16. A machine for washing sheet material comprising means for discharging water, an endless traveling conveyer belt extendin past said discharging means, driving an sup orting rolls for said belt, a cooperating feer roll pressing against the belt in advance of the water-discharging means, a squeezing 'roll bearing against the belt in rear of the dis charging means and between the supporting rolls for expressing surplus water, and separated stri per wires extending from the feed roll to ant beyond the squeezing roll to separate the advancing edge of a sheet therefrom and cause the same to continue in contact with the conveyer.

17. A machine for washing sheet material, comprising means for discharging water, an endless traveling conveyor belt extending past said discharging means, driving and sup orting rolls for said belt, a cot'iperating f eri roll pressing against the belt in advance of the water-discharging means, a squeezing roll bearing against the 'belt in rear of the discharging means and between the sup porting rolls for expressing surplus water, and separated stripper Wires extending from the feed roll to and beyond the squeezing roll to separate the advancing edge of a sheet therefrom and cause the same to continue in contact with the conveyer, said wires being eontained in peripheral grooves in the rolls, whereby the latter are enabled to press upon the sheets without causing indentation, thereof by the wires.

, 18. In a machine of the character de scribed, water-discharging means, a plurality of conveyer belts for carrying sheets of ma terial to be washed past said discharging means, and a table upon which the sheets are deposited by the belts, said belts being separated from each other and the table havmg tongues entering the spaces between them to pick 11 the advancing edges of the sheets.

19. n a machine of the character described, water-discharging means, a plurality of conveyer belts for carrying sheets of material to be washed )ast said discharging means, a table upon which the sheets are. deposited by the belts, said belts being separated from each other and the table having tongues entering the spaces between them to pick u the advancing edges of the sheets, and fil mg bars located between the belts ad jacent the water discharging means for suporting the sheets and preventing the. same rom'being pressed between the belts or torn by the force of the water discharged against them.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. I\I( )SS. W'itnesses:

ARTHUR H. BROWN, P. W. PEZZETTI. 

